Caeli
'Features' Celestial Affinity Each Caeli is born with a specific, non-inheritable 'Affinity', which attunes them to the sun, moon or the stars. This Affinity expresses itself in their skin complexion, behaviour and sleep patterns. Caeli skin pigmentation ranges from dark brown to ghostly pale and markings appear all over the body, which are usually symmetrical. Caeli often feel more focused and invigorated during exposure to their attuned celestial bodies and have taken to living in especially tall structures to amplify the effects through proximity. * Solar Affinity, Solar Caeli usually prefer the direct route to problem-solving. Like all Caeli, they enjoy patterns and planning, but their plans are often more straightforward than others'. Their skins are brown, bronzes and reds, whilst their markings range from gold, to red, to white. * Lunar Affinity, Lunar Caeli have the longest activity cycle, with the Moon not exclusively appearing during the night. They tend to be relaxed by Caeli standards and are usually more accepting of change than others of their race. They appear pale, white or grey, with their markings ranging from silver to black. * Stellar Affinity, Stellar Caeli typically place higher value on order and planning than other Caeli. Some of them even find greater comfort in preparing a plan than executing it. Their skin ranges from purple to blue, with their markings highly different; from white and light blue, to yellow and orange. Grasp Beyond Their Reach Caeli are inquisitive by nature, with an inherent drive to investigation and experimentation. A treatise by Skysage Ghan revolutionised their culture, with a philosophy of building a legacy that lasts as long as the heavens themselves. Thus, no Caeli structure built can be described as 'humble'. While these loft aspirations can lead them to view other Entente members as pedestrian, Caeli are among the foremost scholars and tacticians of the Entente. Planning to a Point Caeli thrive on organization and predictability in all aspects of life. Their predisposition to meticulously-planned battlefield tactics led to the mistaken adage that “Caeli blades see the sun when the fighting is done”, owing to a tendency to select engagements with a high chance of success. The cyclical nature of Caeli biology has made theirs a highly formal society with emphasis on courtesy and punctuality, and Caeli often act bitter and distant if these expectations are not met. The Caeli practice dueling among themselves as a way to settle disputes, although because of their Affinity many duels break down into arguments over the time they should take place. 'Culture' 'Naming Conventions' All Caeli have a True Name, the likes of which describes the state of the stars/planets/etc at the time of their birth. Most true names are longer than to be used in traditional conversation, and thus a given name is usually somehow related to a portion of the true name (example: “Gwynth” for “Llinri-ib pthnid Iligwy n’th ibal al-thinnidllywen”) 'Holidays' Four main holidays are observed within Caeli society, based on the movement of various celestial bodies; * The Solar Apogee, taking place on the Summer solstice to celebrate the peak of the Solar Affinity. Celebrated with bonfires and roasted meat. * The Lunar Perigee, taking place on the full moon nearest to the Winter solstice, it celebrates the peak of Lunar Affinity. A time of introspections, celebrating the relationships closest to you via the exchange of gifts. * The Conclave, a twice-yearly festival, occurring on the equinox. It is the only day of the year where all three Caeli Affinities experience their peak. The Vernal equinox, or the 'Zenith', sees the Caeli experience a near 24-hour period of peak Affinity, celebrated with food and drink. The Autumnal equinox, or 'Nadir', sees the same, but with minimal attunement and is observed as a day of rest. 'Astrology' Due to their Affinities, Caeli place a huge amount of respect and veneration to the celestial bodies. The methods of Caeli astrology are observed by members of the race, regardless of religion. 'Duelling' The Caeli practise duelling to settle disputes. Duels are always discussed in length before hand; time of day to meet, to death or first blood, what the winner will receive and so on. 'Elders' Caeli live forever, but as they age they begin to become less self-dependent and care little for things around them. Old Caeli are truly wise and the knowledge they can pass down has helped the species advance as a whole. Truly ancient Caeli are more like prophets, giving words that none may understand until it is too late. With the fleeing of Imeris, the Caeli had to leave many of their elders behind, resulting in a massive cultural loss to the race. 'Religion' The Caeli have two main religions within their society; Akarism and Ascensionism. Punctuality A high value is attached to punctuality in Caeli cultures. With their opposing sleep schedules, meetings of any kind can be very difficult to arrange. It is for this reason a lot of value is put in the hours of dawn and dusk, because for some it is the only time they can meet without being tired. History * 2400 BA, the Caeli move from the savannahs of Belgethor to more fertile lands. They begin to record their history. The most ancient myths and beliefs are recorded as well, including the philosophy of the Skysage Ghan. * 2000 BA, Araen the Ancient unites the Caeli tribes into a Kingdom. He forms a Council in Akar to centralise the faiths, leading to the creation of Akarism. * 1990 BA, theologists spurned by the Council of Akar begin their own debate about the nature of the world. This eventually leads to the creation of Ascensionism to refute Akarism. * 1700 BA, due to Araen's old age, he becomes unable to rule. The Araenic Kingdom becomes a much more decentralised nation, ruled mostly by regents, governors and warlords. Tensions between Ascensionism and Akarism begin to rise due to the weakening of the central government. * 1600 BA, following a series of weak regencies, Ascensionists, wanting the same privileges as the state sponsored Akarists, turn to a full-scale rebellion. Some dub this the "Ascensionist War" or "Ascension War." * 1550 BA, the majority of the Ascensionist movement abandons central Akar when the Ascension War fails to sway the Akarist majority despite the relentless philosophical arguments, violence and attempts at peaceful truces. The majority of Ascensionists return to outlying Belgethor in the 'Pilgrimage of the Cradle.' Others flee to far flung corners of Imeris or remain in the Caeli heartland to continue their futile war. * 1540 BA, the first 'Council of Belgethor,' an Ascensionist echo chamber response to the Council of Akar. Ascensionist doctrine is formalised into the Belgethori church and its ranks. Certain Ascensionists are still unhappy with the results and leave to form their own sects, most of which remain obscure or have died out before or during the Cataclysm of 0 BA. * 1500 BA, the first Belgethori Legislators and the Council of Akar finally formalise a lasting peace between the two faiths. Folklore holds that the truce was reached when Araen, in his extreme age, demanded an end to the violence, the first time he would've spoken in over a century. Ascensionists and Akarists are given equal rights. The Kingdom never truly unifies again, but conflict with other nations brings an end to the fighting. Ascensionists and Akarists are giving equal rights. The Kingdom becomes a shattered federation of smaller countries and city-states, but is perceived as a single entity from outside sources and Araen remains its King. * 1200 BA, the Battle of Oldary Rock and the forming of the [https://broken-worlds.fandom.com/wiki/Imeris_Entente Imeris Entente]. * 1000 BA, rumors arise that Araen the Ancient passed away. These rumors get wilder and wilder, from him passing away in his sleep to him ascending beyond this mortal coil. None of these rumors are ever verified, however, because both his handlers and regents insists that Araen should only only interact with his caretakers in the Araenic Tower in Akar, for his own sake. These rumors only help the Everking become more of an unifying symbol. * 900 BA, following a bad harvest an insurection starts in the provinces surrounding Akar. At first the rebellion gains much ground and remains focused on dealing with supposed corruption in the Araenic Kingdom and Council of Akar. It however loses legitimacy when its charismatic leader, Siorus, claims to be the reincarnation of Araen. * 80 BA, the Humans disappear. * 0 BA, the Cataclysm occurs. There are many other names for the Disaster, such as the Geronticide among those who escaped and the Vivicide among those that died in desperation. The races flee the mainland. The Council of Akar is wiped out. 'Physiology' Ages Whilst Caeli physically mature by age 30, society considers them adults at ages 50-100. The Caeli do not continue aging past this maturity and have no known maximum lifespan, only dying to injury or acute illness. The physiological effects of ageing on Caeli are limited to fat loss and deepening skin tones, however a complex variety of psychological changes will take them, as a result of their many lifetime experiences. They will slowly become detached from material needs and emotions, with the oldest Caeli completely unaware of everything around them. This 'enlightenment' takes many forms, such as violent madness, catatonia or utterly alien behaviour. Size Caeli tend to sit around 2 meters tall with a thin build. Complexion Caeli vary in color, depending on which celestial body they are attuned to. Shades of red, gray, blue, purple, and white are not uncommon skin colours among the Caeli. Caeli exhibit unique symmetrical markings that appear on the body which gradually change as they age; Caeli consider the symmetry of these markings to be a conventional mark of beauty. Eyes The eye color of a Caeli is unpredictable. They vary just as much as the color as their skin markings, hair, and skin color. Hair Caeli have a wide range of hair colors. These usually are the same or similar as their bodily markings, such as white, red, brown, and red. In Game Appearance ' 'MPM Sliders In MPM, the following range of sizes can be expected, with a variation of 10-15% either side; Head: 90/90/90 Body: 90/120/90 Arm: 90/120/90 Leg: 90/120/90 Category:BW World 4 Category:Factions and Organisations